Data Revolution: Pakistan's Struggle with Big Data Governance

Similarly, Big tech giants like Google, Meta, and Twitter have great access to mass surveillance with the help of big data. However, the increasing significance of Big Data in the surveillance market poses substantial challenges and risks, particularly concerning privacy, security, ethics, and social justice. The power to generate, store, manage, retrieve, and manipulate mass surveillance data has become a digital capital that dictates influence in the cyber and physical world.

Pakistan faces the challenges posed by tech giants in terms of surveillance capitalism including; Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple, exert a monopolistic influence. Despite being the fifth most populous country globally, Pakistan's reliance on third-party platforms for digital data sharing results in significant economic losses. Furthermore, there is a lack of coordination among various institutions handling big data, both at the public and private levels, which has raised concerns about data security, privacy, and the potential for unintended consequences in the digital realm of Pakistan.

Moreover, all data from the national spectrum to the end user is being clouded in the spaces of tech giants under their surveillance mechanism. Predominantly, institutions like the National Database and Regulatory Authority (NADRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Higher Education Commission (HEC), Ministry of Information Technology & Telecom (MoITT) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), etc. are handling the data and information in their domains.

On the other hand, the private sector handles large volumes of data within their respective domains without a standardised method for sharing or safeguarding data dissemination. The unreliable access and misinformation have also been hitting privacy concerns, ultimately linked to the National Security of Pakistan. Several legislative initiatives have been taken in the past, including the Pakistan Act of Electronic Crime (2016) and the Personal Data Protection Bill (2023), which are not approved and only demand the setting up of Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) at the Federal and provincial levels. However, such bills and policies are still awaiting the regulation and implementation.

Pakistan is unlike in the practical application of Big Data as compared to some peer countries such as; Vietnam, Malaysia, Korea, and India.

• Vietnam has set up big data industries, including e-governance, healthcare, transportation, tourism, agriculture, etc. It invests in data centres and cloud computing infrastructure, creating a workforce skilled in data science, analytics, and related sectors to cope with future technologies.
• Malaysia has introduced various programs and regulations to encourage the use of big data and future technologies. The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) was instrumental in promoting data analytics and fostering digital transformation, as well as gaining insights from the massive amount of data, particularly in finance, telecommunications, e-commerce, and smart cities initiatives under the national digital framework.
• South Korea is following the footprints of China and Japan by utilising big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) with the help of AI to enhance urban living conditions.
• India is on its way to develop the matrix of big data industry with a solid foundation to capture future technology and digital economy. The Indian digital sector has obtained global licenses to develop IoT and future technologies in collaboration with Apple, Tesla, IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft on their home ground.

In this way, Pakistan does not yet possess a data governance framework, national data strategy, national data ecosystem, and innovative data technologies. In this regard, the following is recommended: -

• Data proliferation, social media connectivity, and new technologies are redefining national security concerns in the Big Data domain.
• Pakistan should launch a Data Regulatory Governance Framework at national level with relevant constituent bodies like; Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), National Centre for Cyber Security (NCCS), Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), etc. to combine and preserve structured data for futuristic automation.
• Global tech giants for capital surveillance regulate the econometrics of Big Data. Both public and private sectors in Pakistan have large portfolios but lack sufficient coordination of Big Data and privacy issues in order to protect the data currency, Pakistan must develop a Centralized National Data Management and Surveillance system to enhance the efficiency and ownership of Big Data.
• To prevent legal issues about data privacy and protection, compliance with data protection legislation and best practices for data security is essential. Rules, regulations, and policies for handling big data at the national level under a central pool need to be implemented.
• Comprehensive mechanisms to securely share and safeguard the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of massive organisational datasets with robust encryption protocols must be deployed to secure sensitive information, ensuring that only authorised entities have access.
• Stringent privacy regulations to govern the collection, storage, and utilisation of big data, thereby establishing clear guidelines for responsible data management entities and advanced threat detection and prevention systems.
• Like the National Incubation Center, there is a need to establish a ‘Big Data Industry’ under a public-private partnership to cope with future trends of emerging technologies.

In conclusion, big data governance's evolving landscape presents challenges and opportunities for countries like Pakistan. The ability to store, manage, and utilise vast surveillance data has become a pivotal aspect of modern digital capital, exerting influences across cyber and physical domains. As we navigate the complexities of big data governance, it’s essential to view data not merely as a commodity but as a traded product with inherent value. Finally, leveraging big data effectively can empower developing nations towards self-sustainability, reducing reliance on donor funding through strategic resource allocation, planning, and facilitating improved economic conditions. This, in turn, fosters new markets and trade partnerships, expanding opportunities for trade and investment. By embracing this perspective and adopting forward-thinking strategies, Pakistan can effectively navigate the data revolution, unlocking its full potential for societal advancement and economic prosperity.